Portable structure



y 1953 J. H. SINGLETON 2,845,078

PbRTABLE STRUCTURE Filed March 15. 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig./

a/m H. Singleton IN V EN TOR.

July 29, 1958 J. H. Sl NGLETON 2,345,078

v PORTABLE STRUCTURE Filed March 13. 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 John H.Single/on 44 IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent PORTABLE STRUCTURE John H. Singleton, Prattville,Ala.

Application March 13, 1956, Serial No. 571,267 3 Claims. (31. 135-5 Thisinvention comprises novel and useful improvements in portablestructures, and more particularly relates to a portable and collapsiblecanopy support.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a canopy support ofa portable and collapsible nature which shall be especially adapted toconstitute a sunshade or cover for sheltering automobiles as forindividual car shelters, commercial drive-ins, or similar purposes.

An important object of the invention is to provide a portable shelterwherein the supporting frame of the same may be constructed fromstandard structural metallic elements permitting quick assembly ordisengagement of the same in the interest of portability andcollapsibility; and wherein the elements may be assembled in variousways to provide portable shelter structures of different sizes andcharacteristics.

A further important object of the invention is to provide in conjunctionwith a portable and collapsible supporting framework, an improved meansfor securing roof panels and, if desired, roof gable ends thereto.

A still further object of the invention. is to provide a structure inconformity with the foregoing objects wherein the same elements may bereadily employed for producing a supporting framework capable ofreceiving thereunder and sheltering either one or a plurality of cars.

A further and specific object of the invention is to provide aconnecting means whereby a plurality of rods maybe simultaneously joinedat a particular location in various desired angular arrangements, andwherein ease of assembly and disengagement of the rods is permitted.

These together with other objects and: advantageswhich will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View showing one embodiment of a portableshelter constructed in accordance with this invention and which isspecifically adapted for sheltering an individual automobile;

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional detailed View takensubstantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 2-2 of Figurel. and showing the construction ofthe roof support of the shelters;

Figure 3 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view takensubstantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3--3 ofFigure 2 and showing further details of the roof supporting framework ofthe inven- Patented July 29, 1958 Figure 6 is a perspective view ofanother type of frog for securing together other of the rods indifferent angular positions;

Figure 7 is a detailed view illustrating the manner in which a roofgable end is detachably secured to a roof panel;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of still another frog or connectingmember for securing together the longitudinal roof eave members and theouter ends of the roof cross arms andrafters;

Figure 9 is a perspective detailed view of a modified construction fordetachably supporting the vertical standards of the framework; and,

Figure 1.0 is a perspective view, parts being broken away and omitted,of a modified supporting framework adapted for receiving a plurality ofautomobiles thereunder.

Referring first to the embodiment of Figures 1-8, it will be seen thatthecarport or other shelter produced by this invention comprises acollapsible supporting framework which carries a roof covering thereon.

The supporting framework comprises a pair of end members or endsupports, each of which consists of a vertical standard 10 having itslower end removably secured in upstanding sleeve 12 carried at themid-portion of a horizontally extending. rod 14 constituting a footmember for the end. Conveniently, the opposite ends of the foot memberare provided with suitable inclined bores for receiving pins 16 or thelike, whereby the foot member and consequently the end membersandsupporting frame may be rigidly secured upon the ground or othersupporting surface in a readily detachable manner.

Although this is not essential for all uses of this invention, it ispreferred. to formthe upstanding sleeve 12 at a. considerable height, asfor. example, a foot or more, and to provide the same with a set-screwwherein. the end of the vertical standard. 10 may be vertically adjustedin order to vary the position of the canopy carried by the device.

Referring now especially to. Figure 5, it will. be seen that thevertical members 10 adjacent their upper ends have a frog or detachable.coupling consisting of oppositely disposed pairs of rigidly orintegrally attached horizontally" extending. sleeves 18 and. 20. Thesleeves 18 are provided-with. internally threaded bosses 22 thereon forthe receptionof'setz-screws or. the like'2'4, while the sleeves 20 maybe provided with. set-screws if. desired, but are preferably plain.sleeves; The oppositely extending sleeves 18 serve. to removably'receive and secure the inward extremities of pairs of horizontaloppositely extending. arms 26, as will be best. apparent from Figure 2'.A longitudinal roof'member 28, see Figure 3, is adapted to extendthrough: the sleeves 20 of a pair of the vertical standards 10.

Referring now especially to. Figure 6, it will be seen that the.uppermost end of theistandard' 10 receives a further form of frog orconnecting member. The same consists'of a stem portion 30lwhich isdetachab'ly secured and socketed in the upper endof the member 10, beingretained therein as by a set-screw '32 threaded through a boss 34 on thestandard. The upper end of the stem 30 has a: pair of oppositelyextending sleeves 36, each providedlwithan internally threaded boss 38and a setscrew 40, whereby a longitudinally extending: rod 42-comprising the ridge pole or the roof assembly may be removably securedto andrigidly connect the vertical standards of the pair of. end supportmembers. Perpendicular to the oppositely disposed. sleeves 36, andinclining. downwardly fromtheuppereudof. the stem 30 area pair of.rafter receiving; sleeves 44,. each: likewise provided with aninternally threaded boss 46 and aw'setescrew' 48. These last mentionedsleeves are adapted to detachably receive and secure therein the uppernds of the roof rafter members 50, see Figures 2 and 3.

The roof framework further includes a pair of longitudinal roof eavemembers 52, see Figures 2 and 8, upon the ends of which are clamped thefrogs or connecting members of Figure 8. These comprise a sleeve 54slidably received upon the ends of the roof eave members 52, and beinglocked thereon as by internal-1y threaded bosses 56 having set-screws58. Angulated sleeves 60 and 62 extend integrally from the sleeve 54,and are each provided with internally threaded bosses 64 with setscrews66 whereby the outer ends of the arms 26 and of the rafter members 50may be respectively secured.

As so far described, it will now 'be apparent that the supportingframework may be readily assembled or disassembled, and that the size ofthe same may be varied by suitably varying the lengths of the variousrods which are connected together detachably to form the framework.

Referring next to Figure 1, it will be seen that the roof consists of aroof covering 70 of canvas or other suitable fabric which is stretchedover the ridge pole 42, over the top of the rafters 50 and as shown inFigure 4 extends about the sides and is secured underneath thelongitudinal roof eave members 52. In order to detachably secure theroof covering panel, the same is provided with suitable eyelets 74 whichare received upon downwardly projecting pins 76 suitably located alongthe roof eave members 52. These eyelets are formed in the ends of webs78, see Figures 3 and 4, secured to the underside of the roof panelwhereby the panel may be drawn taut over the supporting framework assuggested in Figure 4. The ends of the roof panels hang down for anydesired distance upon the side of the roof eave members to provide askirt or valance 80.

Reference is further made to Figures 13 and 7 wherein it will be seenthat the awning is provided with gable ends 82. These are composed ofcanvas or other suitable fabric appropriately shaped and which at theirupper edges are provided with webs or straps '84 having buckles or otherfasteners 86. These latter cooperate with short webs 88 secured tolongitudinally extending webs 90 attached to the underside of the roofcovering. At their lower edge, the webs 84 of the gable ends are formedwith eyelets in the same manner as that set forth in connection with thestraps or webs 78 of Figure 4, which are adapted to be secured upondepending projections 92 underneath the cross arms 26 and whichcorrespond to the depending pins 76 of the eave roof members. Thus, thegable ends may be detachably secured to the cross arms of the frame andto the roof panel of the covering.

Where a somewhat more permanent erection of the supporting framework isdesired, the foot members 14 of Figure 1 may be replaced by theconstruction shown in Figure 9. In this instance, a sleeve 94 isembedded in a concrete block or the like 96 in the ground, and thissleeve, in the same manner as the sleeve 12, detachably receives andsupports the lower end of the standard 10. Alternatively, the lower endof the standard could itself be embedded permanently in the concrete 96,as desired.

In the embodiment just described, the supporting framework consists of asingle standard at each end of the structure. Where a larger structureis desired, however, a plurality of standards may be employed at eachend, as shown in the modified arrangement of Figure 10. In thisarrangement, the same vertical standards 10 are employed as previouslydescribed, the same being supported in the sleeves "12 carried by themid-portions of the foot members 14. However, a pair of the foot membersare disposed in alignment with each other and are connected together bya connecting sleeve 15, in order to afford the desired lateral extent ofthe end support.

As in the preceding embodiment, cross arms 26 project from the frogsleeves 18 of the standards 10, with the cross arms projecting inopposite directions from these standards. However, in this form, atransverse connecting bar 27 is positioned in the sleeves 18 on theadjacent sides of the two standards for rigidly connecting the assemblytogether and thus providing in effect a lengthened cross arm having thedesired span for the roof structure.

Similarly, the previously mentioned rafter members 50 are secured to theoutwardly projecting sleeves 44 of the frog at the top of the standards,and the adjacent outer ends of the cross arms 26 and the rafters 50 areas before secured in the frog shown in Figure 8, being received in thesleeves 60 and 62 thereof, respectively. These frogs also receive theroof eave members 52. There are also provided a pair of longitudinalroof members 28, each received in aligned sleeves 20 of the frogscarried adjacent the upper end of the standards 10. However, the ridgepole 42 is connected to the standards and rafters by connecting membersor frogs consisting of three angula-rly related sleeves 43, 45 and 47.The opposite ends of the ridge pole 42 are secured in the sleeves 43 ofa pair of section members, while rafter extension rods 49 have theiradjacent ends received in the sleeves 45 and 47, and their opposite endsreceived in the sleeves 44 carried by the upper ends of the twostandards.

The manner of securing the fabric of the roof panel or canopy to the topof the supporting framework, and of securing the roof gable ends theretois identical with that previously described.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the structural elements of thisinvention may be combined in various ways to produce different sizes andshapes of shelters, and that the device is readily assembled ordisassembled, and thus is extremely portable and versatile in itsnature.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will bereadily understood and further explanation is believed to beunnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction shown and described, andaccordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resortedto, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A portable and collapsible shelter comprising a pair of end supports,a roof support and a roof covering thereon, said end supports eachcomprising a single standard having upper and lower connecting frogsrigidly mounted at its upper end, a ridge pole lying in the samevertical plane with said standards and rigidly secured to the upper frogof each of said standards, horizontal cross arms and inclined raftershaving the inner ends of each secured to the lower and upper frogsrespectively, said cross arms and rafters extending from opposite sidesof each standard, roof eave members, frogs connecting the outer ends ofsaid rafters and cross arms to each other and to said eave members, saideave members having pins thereon projecting therebeneath, said roofcovering comprising a sheet of a pliable material disposed over saidridge pole, said rafters and said eave members, means on said coveringdetachably engaging said pins.

2. The combination of claim 1 including roof gable ends of a pliablematerial means detachably securing said gable ends at the upper edge ofeach to said roof covering at an edge thereof adjacent to said raftersand further fastening means detachably securing said gable ends at thelower edge of each to said cross arms.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said further fastening meanscomprise additional pins longitudinally spaced on said cross armsprojecting therebeneath and eyelets spaced longitudinally along thelower edges of said gable ends detachably engaging said additional pins.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS Fyfe Apr. 30, 1907 6 Shultz June 15, 1909Hocking et a1 Aug. 17, 1915 Wilkins Nov. 7, 1916 Wittmann May 13, 1924FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain July 5, 1928

